Roller drive chain



y 19, 1953 E. E. PERIRQN 2,638,790

ROLLER DRIVE CHAIN Filed Oct. 21, 1950 6. Emil E. ert-on H Snveutor (Ittotneg Patented May 19, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLLER DRIVE CHAIN Emil E. Perron, Worcester, Mass.

Application October 21, 1950, Serial'No. 191,454

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a roller drive chain and more particularly to a chain made up of linked roller units secured together by further links and pintles passing through the adjacent rollers.

A roller drive chain of the type illustrated in the drawings comprises a series of connected roller units, each of which has two rollers mounted on axially parallel bushings carried by side links, the units being connected in the chain by means of outer links and pintles passing through the rollers. In standard constructions, the pintles have been held in place by means of a head at one end and a cotter pin or a clip at the other end. A common form of cotter pin used to hold each pintle separately in place comprises a U-shaped soft wire having an eye at one end terminating at the other end in half round legs which in its assembled position forms a two-part cylindrical pin. That cotter pin, however, does not prevent the pintle from turning within its bushing and so is subject to wear and breakage and may let the chain link fall 01? with attendant dis-aster. When the pin is passed through both pintles, it is still subject to wear and breakage due to the separate halves bending Or being cracked or snapped off where bent to lock the par-ts in place.

Cotter pins have also been made of various other shapes arranged to connect together the ends of two adjacent pintles and thus prevent their turning, but these pins are intended to be easily removed and so may become dislodged and cause trouble. Clips have been so shaped as to engage a groove on the end of the pintle, but such clips may be snapped out of position accidentally, and they do not prevent the pintles from turning and so are subject to wear that ultimately lets the pintle become loose. Such constructions of the prior art have in many cases depended upon a rapid assembly as well as removability of the pin or the clip so that the chain may be easily repaired when the clip is broken. However, that intended advantage has actually proven to be a disadvantage, as will be more readily apparent from the following disclosure.

The primary object of my invention is to fasten the pintles together by a cotter pin which can be readily assembled and yet is not removable except by breakage, and wherein the pin is so constructed and arranged as to prevent the pintles from turning and at the same time hold them in a correct assembly.

A further object of my invention is to satisfy such desired ends and to provide a construction which is simple and easily manufactured and assembled and yet which is not readily removed and so will hold the side plates in proper relationship for a long life of useful service. Other objects will be apparent in the following disclosure.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating one embodiment of this invention:

Fig. 1 is an end view of two roller link units connected by my special cotter pin and link construction;

Fig. 2 is a view taken at right angles to that.

of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates the first step of assembling the cotter pin and pintles;

Fig. 4 shows the second step of assembling, in which one of the side plates is put in position; an

Figs. 5 and 6 are two nearly full-size views at right angles to each other of the cotter pin employed in thisroller link construction.

A roller drive chain of the type illustrated is made up of a series of roller units connected together in achain formation by a cotter pin and pintle construction. Each of these units has two rollers Ill mounted on inner bushings II which are secured to two inner side plates or links I2. These bushings have concentric cylindrical inner and outer surfaces and they fit tightly within the axially aligned cylindrical holes I4 in the two opposite links l2. The plates i2 are so spaced that the rollers 10 may turn readily but without material end play.

' The major feature of my invention involves securing adjacent pairs of roller link units to gether and thus making a long length of chain. This construction comprises two axially parallel cylindrical pintles [6, which rotatably fit within the two adjacent bushings ll. They project as illustrated for the purpose of securing in place two outer link members l8 which determine the spacing of the pintles and the chain units. These links 18 have cylindrical holes therethrough which rotatably interfit with the pintles I18, and these holes are so spaced that the adjacent rollers ID of the leftand right-hand units are spaced the same as the two rollers of each unit, as is required by the driving sprocket. Each pintle I6 is of such a length and soconstructed that it may be provided with a head I9 at one end which holds the adjacent outer link l8 in place, shown as the bottom one in Fig. 2. This head may be formed after the parts have been assembled by suitable means which rivets or spreads the projecting head portion and prevents removal of the link l8. The other link it (the top one in Fig. 2) is held in place by means of a cotter pin 20 of my special construction which fits within aligned diametrical holes 2| through the pintles. These holes are so located when the cotter pin is in place that the pin will lie snugly against the adjacent outer link IS. The cotter pin is made long enough so that after it has been assembled in the holes 2! of the two adjacent pintles, it" will extend well beyond the same so as to avoid any possibility of accidental removal.

The pin 20, as shown particularly in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, comprises two straight aligned cylindrical end portions 22 and 23 of a steel wire of suitable composition and size, which are arranged to fit snugly within the cylindrical holes 2| of the pintles. Each cotter pin has two U-shaped portions 24 and 25 connecting with the straight end portions 22 and. 23, andthese u-shaped partsZ l and 25 are preferably joined by an intermediate straight. portion 26 which is axially aligned with the. cylindrical and portions 22. and 23. The U -shaped. parts 2 and 2-5 have their arms 2"! and 28: substantially parallel and fairly close'together, as shown, and they are made substantially perpendicular to the center. line of each of the parts 22 and 23. The curved intersection between each arm- Z'lor 2% and the straight part 22 or 23 has a. short radius so that when assembled the cylindrical surface of the pintle it will lie substantiallyin contact with the straight arm portion. The shoulders formed by these arms prevent endwise motion of thecotter pin relative to the pin tles, and because of the resiliency ofthe pin, any tendency for the pintle to rotate is resisted by the U-shaped part which thus urges the pintle into a definite position and insures that it will not rotate materially under the stresses-involved as the'roller chain is driven. The cotter pin is made preferably of a soft steel of suitable compositionfor the shaping operation, and thetshaped product may be hardened or otherwise treated so as. to provide a satisfactory strength and resil iency. I

Oncethe pin has been assembled, it cannotbe disassembled atwill. The assembly of the chain partamay be accomplished by the following general procedure The two pintles 16 arefirst assembled relative to the cotter pin 28', as shown in Fig. 3. Then one plate is (Fig. 4) is mounted on the pintles and. driven into place until it lies snugly in contact with the cotter pin. It will be observed that the U-shaped portions 24 and 25 of the cotter pin are necessarily oriented. so that they lie snugly against the adjacent fiat face of the outer link. It. Thereafter, each of the two adjacent roll units is put into place by mounting the adjacent rollers Ill on the pintles l6, as shown in Fig. 2. Then the other outer plate l8 (the lower one in Fig. 2) is put into place, and the heads. is are rivetedor otherwise formed on the adjacent ends of the pins i5. This is the final step, since the links have to be assembled from the cotter pin end of the pintle. If occasion arises which. requires removal of a roller or link, this is done by breaking. the cotter pin and forcing the two pin parts out of their pintle holes, after which the pintles may be driven out in the down-- wardly direction of Fig. 2 and new pintles and cotter pins provided for reassembly.

The operation and utility of the device will be apparent. This cotter pin, pintle and link assembly is such that the chain may serve normally as a sprocket driven power transmitting device, in which the cotter pin 2!! in its association with the links iii, the pintles l6 and the rollers [0 permits the chain to bend around the sprocket, but the pintles are so held that they cannot revolve and thereby wear the pin. The U-shaped' parts of the pin are substantially in contact with the pintles and they lie flat against the adjacent plate l8, and since-they project in opposite directions they prevent the pin from turning in its sockets 2| and from moving endwise relative to the pintles. The straight central portion 26 of the pin serves to connect the two U-parts 24 and 25, and it resists bending of the inner arms of the U-parts. Various other advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

. It will now be appreciated that the above dis closure is intended to; explain the principles underlying m invention and to give a full description of a preferred embodiment thereof but without imposing limitations on the appended claims.

I claim:v

l. A roller drive chain comprising a seriesof connected drive units, each of which has a pair of Spaced. side links, axially parallel bushings connecti-ng the links and a roller mounted on each bushing, and a link, pintle and rcotter pin assembly which holds two units. connected comprising pintles pivotally mounted within and projecting outwardly at both ends from. the bushings of adjacent units,.two outer linkspivo-tally mounted on. the outwardly projecting pintle ends andiconvnesting the same, means for holding one outer link, on. the pintles, the pintles having axially aligned diametrical holes near their ends immedi ate'ly outside of. other associated outer. link, and a cotter pin shaped to provide two axially aligned end portions mounted in said holes and two: U shaped arms between the end portions which extend in opposite. directions and lie flat against said associated outer link in. contactwith; the opposed pintles and so preventboth endwi'se movement and rotation of the pin relative to-the intles, whereby the pin holds thepintles permanently and non rotatively assembled relative to said associated link.

2. A roller drive chain according. toclaimfl. in which the cotter pin is a steel wire shaped". to provide an intermediate straight portion aligned axially withits end portionsand the two U. shaped arms are located. between the end portionsof the pin and the intermediate straight portion and on opposite sides of the latter, and wherein the pin tles have heads at their ends remote from the cotter pins which prevent removal of. the adjacent outer link.

EMIL E; PERRON.

UNITED I STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- B'elcher Feb. 11-, 1941. 

